“Uniquely average” NAHS Class of 1960 to hold reunion

The New Albany High School, Class of 1960 will be meeting this weekend for its 55th reunion. There will be a hospitality room at the Hampton Inn where class members can gather, and a social get-together at the home of a classmate on Friday evening. On Saturday, the class will get together for a bus tour of New Albany sites of interest, beginning with the Farmer’s Market and ending with lunch at the Museum. There will be a banquet style gathering Saturday evening at In Bloom; a Sunday morning devotional at the chapel on the Rutledge farm will be followed by brunch. Class members will be departing New Albany from Sunday afternoon through Tuesday morning.

These arrangements seem fairly typical for class reunions these days, and this is as it should be. The NAHS Class of 1960 defines itself as being “unique in its averageness.” They can claim no Nobel or Pulitzer winners, no inventors of world-shaking devices, no standouts in politics, space or the arts among their group. Nor do they have classmates who are homeless or institutionalized or in prison for taking advantage of others.

The Class of 1960 thinks of itself as “the class that cares.” Though only about 25% have remained in the New Albany area, most have important ties to the community, and they all “give thanks to the community that raised us.” Thus, an e-mail group of classmates, begun as a way of keeping updated, grew to a website for classmate information exchange, then blossomed into a class fund for donating in memory of fallen classmates. From that class fund came “NAHS 1960 Class Remembers,” a local committee established by the class for the purpose of helping others and”reaching out to fix something that can be fixed.”

NAHS 1960 Class Remembers

NAHS 1960 Class Remembers is governed locally by Michael Hale-Chairman, Jim Owen-Secretary, Dottie Coltharp-Treasurer, with Bill Rutledge, Phil Morris and Martha Jeter as members with responsibility in specific areas of community needs, such as Veterans, Elderly, Children and Physical. The committee accepts donations from the public, but is largely funded by class members. Occasionally, the committee publicly funds events like Patriot Day, etc., but most of its assistance is given anonymously, with only classmates aware of the details.

NAHS 1960 Class Remembers

NAHS 1960 Class Remembers

The New Albany High School Class of 1960 followed their personal dreams after graduation: higher education, military service, entering the work force. They are represented in business, medicine, education, engineering, theology, insurance, manufacturing, journalism, retail service and the law. Diverse-yes, average-maybe, but they share the common thread of love of the New Albany community, paired with concern for others and the willingness to share their blessings with others. They hope that their connection to the community will encourage others to find paths to service in the future.